2023 10 14t000000z 494793982 up1ejae0rp62o rtrmadp 3 cricket worldcup ind pak 1741088523.jpg
Posted in Al Jazeera

Pakistan squad sees exclusion of Rizwan and Babar for five T20 matches against New Zealand | Cricket Updates

on

Pakistan revamps T20 squad by dropping Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, with Rizwan retaining ODI captaincy.

In a significant shake-up ahead of the T20 series against New Zealand, Pakistan has dropped captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. The move is part of a larger team restructuring announced for the five-match series set to commence on March 16.

Salman Ali Agha is set to lead the T20 side, with Shadab Khan as vice-captain. This marks Salman’s return to leadership, following his guiding Pakistan to a 2-1 victory against Zimbabwe in a recent T20 series.

Rizwan, however, will continue as skipper for the three ODIs against New Zealand, slated to start on March 29. Both Rizwan and Azam are included in the ODI lineup.

The changes reflect the Pakistan selectors’ response to the team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, where they lost matches to both New Zealand and India, and failed to secure a win in their last game, washed out against Bangladesh.

Fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi, part of the T20 squad, have been dropped from the ODI roster. Top-order batsmen Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel have also made way for others, with Abdullah Shafique recalled to the ODI squad after being overlooked for the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, left, and Salman Ali Agha run between the wickets against South Africa in the Tri-series preceding the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, left, and Salman Ali Agha run between the wickets against South Africa in the Tri-series that preceded the Champions Trophy [Fareed Khan/AP]

As the team gears up, interim head coach Aaqib Javed emphasizes the need for a fearless and aggressive approach in T20 cricket, highlighting the importance of leveraging the batting powerplay and scoring big shots.

Javed’s contract, initially set to conclude with the Champions Trophy, will continue as the Pakistan Cricket Board searches for a full-time head coach.

Among the new faces in the T20 team are uncapped players Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz, and Mohammad Ali, all of whom showed promising performances in the domestic T20 Champions Cup.

Pakistan squads:

T20 Squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan

ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/3/4/pakistan-drops-babar-and-rizwan-for-five-t20s-against-new-zealand?traffic_source=rss

You May Also Like

Capture 173763026067c6c8f4c195e2.84034483.jpg

The French government is considering the possibility of expanding France’s “nuclear umbrella” to the entire European continent.
1741093253 6000.jpg

British lawmakers criticize JD Vance’s remarks as profoundly insolent in regards to defense strategy.

Leave a Reply